product review Archives - A Vegan Obsession

High Speed Culinary Blender Review

September 28, 2013 by India Leigh

It is no secret that I have been wishing and dreaming for a high speed blender for a long time now. I was saving up my pennies to buy one, but my addiction for kale chips and almond bread was so great I put my needs for these first. A dehydrator usurped the industrial blender that had previously sat atop my culinary gadget list. So at times, when making nut cheeses and craving raw soups, I have experienced some regret of not purchasing the blender first. It was just such a huge monetary commitment. This is why I wanted to share with those of you who are holding back, like I was, another option.

Several weeks ago, I was asked to review a blender much lesser known than the oft heralded Vitamix and Blendtec. I will be honest, because of it’s lower price tag, I didn’t hold out much hope of it taking away my pangs for a Blendtec.

Over the past several weeks I have been cooking and creating like crazy in kitchen HQ, all in the name of Vegan MoFo 2013. A both wonderful and loony concept of bloggers posting all things vegan for the whole month of September. I cannot tell you how fun this has been. Well, I can, but not right now. Anyway, all the while I was using the new Omniblend V to enable me to create my daily recipes.

I have been sous chef to a few raw food masterminds, so I know the capabilities of the Vitamix. The Blendtec and I have met several times at food festivals and events. I have witnessed the cut of their jib. So I felt I was in the position to make a few comparisons. I was hot and flushed just imagining getting my hands on a blender with 3 horse power.

With the Omniblend I have pureed and creamed, made sauces, raw soups (the friction of blending warms it through), dreamy ice creams (fast blend time means frozen food stays frozen), ground pin-head oats to flour, and nuts to butter. I can honestly say I’ve been thrilled, amazed and really happy with the results. One thing I didn’t try yet was mixing dough, which it apparently it does well. I will update you when I do.

For a some blender personal statistics: The Omniblend has a BPA free, 2 litre jug, so any hot items will not leach chemicals from the jug into your food. It has a wide neck so is easy to scrape the sides, meaning virtually no waste. It has four upper and two lower blades. The Vitamix only has 4 in total. It is super simple to use, with auto timer programmes with 30, 60 or 90 seconds. Pulse button and 3 set speeds; low, medium and high. At first I was worried that it was manufactured in China but Omniblend have service centres in all the countries that they sell in, and easy to obtain replacements parts, should they ever be needed or fall outside the terms of their warranty.

7 year motor warranty
1 year jug and blade

At a cost of only £249 compared to £450 - £580 Vitamix. I think it is a really worthy contender. Some other reviews of the Vitamix I found online suggest the Vitamix may cut a few seconds of blend time, in comparison to the Omniblend but, with the knowledge I have now, I’d probably not pay out over £200 to save a few seconds of blend time. The only thing I would say is that the tamper stick felt a little cheap.

This is my unbiased opinion. I’d totally recommend the Omniblend if you are willing to buy for performance and not the long trusted name. In fact, that is the only reservation I have, that Omniblend is relatively new to the market and so customer service, warranty fulfilment and rugged long life is not so well established and known. However, seeing as it does have a long warranty I’d say it was worth giving it a shot.

Without it I wouldn’t have been able to create such wonderful recipes for Vegan MoFo, and you.

For the recipes above..

Raw Butternut Squash & Kiwi Soup with Chilli Apple Croutons

Aubergine Walnut Rouleaux With Wild Blackberry Mustard Vinaigrette
Double Layer Orange & Cardamon Cheesecake

[Friday GIVEAWAY for Dog Lovers] Healthy Chew Bones For Your Darling Dog

August 2, 2013 by India Leigh

It’s the Friday Giveaway! We’re have 1 bag of medium or large BREATHBONES (you choose, depending on the size of your pooch).

Full of natural ingredients like sweet potatoes, carrots, cinnamon, spinach. Even chia seed get stirred into the mix(sounds delicious…try not to eat the chews yourself!). Parsley is added to make your dog’s breath sweet. Grain free, free of known allergens, and non-GMO.

A couple of months ago I posted an article about Vegan, Allergy Free Dog Food and it got you guys talking. Sometimes, something comes along that shifts beliefs we have had about how things are. It makes us question. That’s a good thing. It seems many dog owners are helping to optimise their dog’s nutrition with V-Dog. We really care about our pets and people are saying it helps manage their dogs diabetes, stops them itching, improves their digestion and keeps them bright. Now V-Dog have agreed to let you their Breathbones for free. If you want to be in with a chance for your dog to try them, just enter our giveaway.

Giveaway open to USA residents only.

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Does Cheese Have To Be Made From Dairy to be good? Mozzarella Alternative. Free Of Lactose!

June 4, 2013 by India Leigh

I’ve been reviewing quite a number of vegan cheeses lately (I will include the links at the end of the article). Most, if not all, have been produced in the USA. This cheese, MozzaRisella is made in Europe. Italy to be exact. I decided to try it for myself and chat with the guy who is bringing this dairy free cheese to Britain.

With zero cholesterol. Lower in fat than dairy mozzarella. It is better for not only those who eat a plant-based diet but also those with lactose intolerance, or those wishing to eat healthier. It is true of any cheese though. Moderation.

It is more expensive than dairy based www.galbani.co.uk But, allergy free food, when first to market are usually more expensive. However, they are usually also have more of an artisanal quality. Quality ingredients, respecting nature.

Cheese is often sited as the sticking point from a animal based diet to plant-based one. So, in my mind, the more plant-based cheeses I can write to you about the better. Once you’ve opened the portal to vegan cheese, you quickly step out of any incorrect assumptions about dairy being the only way to make cheese and expand your experience to differing ingredients, much like when you first heard about goats cheese, right?!

So, what’s it taste like? Does it stand up to the flavour test?

MozzaRisella comes in three guises.

Original - a firmer cheese, similar to mozzarella, light and creamy, but not quite as cool and silky. It found it’s niche, paired with fresh basil and vine tomatoes. I crumbled some on one of my gluten free pizza crackers, tore off a few basil leaves and cut heirloom toms and finished with a light drizzle of olive oil. Scrumptious!

SmokeyRisella - infused with turmeric for a smokey flavour. I admit I just sliced, and ate!

CreamyRisella - like a smooth cream cheese, with a hint of tang. I wondered if it would make a good gananche (mini chocolate bites were just cooling from the oven at the time) incorporated naturally sweet carob flour, a dash of agave nectar, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt and whipped with a spatula to create a simple ganache for mini, chocolate bits. Incredible!

They all melt too! Check out their really cute video

CreamyRisella dolled up as a tantalising ganache, sat atop a mini bite.

So, I wondered just how they managed to make cheese from rice. In their own words, here is how…

By following the natural rhythms of germination we activate the seeds of brown rice (only Italian origin) in spring water flowing at 600m above sea level in the heart of Lessinia Park - Piccole Dolomiti. In this stage, when the buds are at their maximum vitality, we transform the germinated brown rice in a delicious and balanced ”vegan milk” thus achieving the BioSuRice: laboratory tests confirm the presence of precious and balanced nutrients in germinated brown rice, useful for people wellness. It is, among vegan drinks, the most similar to breast milk.

INTERVIEW!

I wanted to find out more about the people behind MozzaRisella. I told them of my curiosity and this is what Mauro, at London HQ, had to say.

‘Basically , a cheese producer (of three generations) in Italy, was vegetarian, and was becoming vegan. He was looking for an alternative and he met a dynamic young company specialised in germinated whole rice milk. which had just invented what we call MozzaRisella Today. The two put their heads together. It took another year before arrive to create the MozzaRisella. The project has started and is growing. He still producing cheese back in Italy, as you cannot stop a business in a day and unfortunately the non vegan are still more than us vegans. But they are conscious of what they started is the future, and they are looking to stop their cheese production as the MozzaRisella production will increase’.

At the beginning, MozzaRisella was only a vegan cheese substitute for pizza (this was the concept) but later they discovered that in the organic and natural shops in Italy, there is more and more demand for vegan products, not as much as Germany or England, but is growing a lot, and they found support from many people and associations. Mauro Vendramin, a Venetian and the UK distributor, has known the producer (Alessandro Menegon) since he was 15.

‘two years ago he came to see me in London with the prototype of Mozzarisella. To be honest I could not believe it! I decided to help them creating the brand and the marketing. So in the end at the base of the project, some vegan and vegetarian, young entrepreneurs, (including some volunteers) and lot of friendship has bought about MozzaRisella today.

In times of climate change, land shortage, obesity and heart disease, it is good to see another sustainable food product on the rise. Try it. Or maybe you have already? Let us know. Click on the comments link below.

other cheese reviews by A Vegan Obsession: Dr. Cow Cheese Making Workshop

Para mis amigos italianos .. aquí es donde usted puede conseguir MozzaRisella en Italia!

5 Natural Ingredients. Spells LOVE. Vegan Body Butter [Review]

May 16, 2013 by India Leigh

I’m always on the lookout for new products, but my focus is usually of the edible kind. So I wanted to tell you about a lovely body butter I tested at a vegan event recently. It had a wonderful, natural fragrance and, after an initial greasiness, it soaked into my skin well. It kept my parched ‘washing up hands’ hydrated for ages. I met with the co-founders, Kelly Winterhalter and Bryan Pamplin. A sweetly pair! Kelly founded Ellovi (ell.o.v.i spells love. so cute!) when she was suffering from a skin condition that wouldn’t clear up. She looked at all the chemicals in the products she tried and just knew they couldn’t be doing her much good. Kelly told me..

‘I started Ellovi because I wasn’t happy with the other products out there. Even the products labeled natural or organic almost always contain dozens of ingredients, are loaded with preservatives, and watered down.

I wanted to create something much better from pure and natural ingredients. Your skin is like a sponge that absorbs lotions and creams right into your body. Given the lack of regulation in the industry, I’m very careful with what I put on my skin, and that’s not something you’ll ever have to worry about with Ellovi’.

After some home-kitchen research and development, she created a cream with just a few pure ingredients. She began to notice real results and friends and family urged her to start selling her wonder cream. I was intrigued about one ingredient I’d never heard of, Marula oil. Extracted from the African Marula nut. . I asked Kelly why she used this product in her cream. She explained..

‘We source Marula oil from a fair trade organization in Swaziland. Marula oil has been used for millennia to enrich, moisturize and revitalize dry skin. I read an article about Marula oil a long time ago that said it was on the of “best buys that will change your life.” This encouraged me to try it, and I immediately noticed improvements. My skin became softer, and sun damage began to fade. All of our other ingredients have been sourced fairly and have been selected because of their amazing skin healing benefits’.

Butter has a very light natural SPF protection from the Shea butter. It is about the equivalent of SPF 5, and should be used under your sunscreen.

The Butter is made in California. You can buy Butter online at www.elllovi.com. It is not available in stores yet.

Attention All Cheese Lovers! Behold A New Kind Of Cheese On The Block.

May 9, 2013 by India Leigh

Whilst residing in the US recently, a few trusted sources were passing on wisdom about a company called Dr. Cow. Makers of an aged, hard cheese made from tree nuts. I was intrigued. I had to get my mitts on this wonder cheese and see what the fuss was all about. I was due to fly to the UK and time was racing by, looking back and poking its tongue out at me! I had to get some. And fast.

I had delivered a selection of intriguing flavours. They arrived as domes of cheese, wrapped in paper. Wondrous artisanal flavours such as Aged Cashew & Dulse, Cashew & Crystal Manna Algae, Aged Macadamia, Aged Cashew & Hemp and a round tub of soft white Cashew Cream Cheese.

A review follows, but first…

Regular readers will know that I like to find out about the operations, the people behind the product. I talked with Pablo Castro to discover…Just who are Dr. Cow?
comments in [ ] are added by A Vegan Obsession.

They are a small, environmentally concious business, run by Veronica Schwartz and Pablo Castro. Veronica is an award winning pastry chef (Best Dessert - New York Magazine), and entrepreneur, she’d worked alongside renowned chefs such as Daniel Boulud and Jean George. She formed Dr. Cow with her partner Pablo Castro, so she could concentrate on her own gastronomic creations. Pablo Castro had a degree in Business and worked most of his life in the food industry developing products and doing research R&D. Now his doing it for his own company.

Their facility in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, has it’s own water purifier system to ensure the highest quality of product. Alongside the nut cheese they make granolas, activated nuts, cookies, biscotti, nuts and seeds milks and specialty products. All their products are gluten-soy-dairy free.

Tell us more about the Cheese.
The “Tree Nut Cheese” is a product that has all the requirements that we perceive are needed for a product to be launched into the marketplace: Very high nutritional value, Life Force, Contains good healthy bacteria, It is raw, fermented and vegan.

Who is the cheese aimed at?
“Tree Nut Cheese” is a product that is not only accepted by the vegan community but by all consumers alike as its hand-crafted preparation is the same as its animal counterpart.
It’s a basic item in any kitchen and is for anyone. We think that is not about one product, but about seeing things differently. It is a simple and basic product, Cheese. We believe it can help break certain barriers because it gives the gourmet cheese lover a new, interesting option. A cheese made from nuts??!!?!
It would also help many dairy eating people to reduce the use of animal products in their daily diet. [also people with lactose intolerance or who need to reduce saturated fat in their diets]. It is a great transition food. We believe this product can help fundamentally to many carnivores and vegetarians that are having a hard time making the transition towards veganism. [also those who want to shift to a more plant based diet].

How did you get interested in raw foods?
The introduction of raw foods in our lifestyle felt like a very natural process. I worked in the food industry since I was a teenager. We always researched and studied local and traditional ingredients, in order to offer our consumers foods with high nutritional value, that were also sustainable for our environment.

We were already eating in a very similar way without knowing anything about the fundamentals and philosophy of raw foodists. Then we heard the term - raw food. We started to buy books and to research; we incorporated the philosophy and started to apply the techniques with ourselves. Soon after that, we started to modify the recipes of the products that we were offering through Dr. Cow. Since 2004, by learning and applying the raw food cooking techniques, we were able to develop hundreds of new products in an ongoing process that continues today.

What do you believe is so unique about your cheese?
The “Tree Nut Cheese” is a product that has all the requirements that we perceive are needed for a product to be launched into the marketplace: Very high nutritional value. Life Force. Contains good healthy bacteria. It is raw, fermented and vegan. 100% certified organic ingredients are used. No gluten, no casein, no soy and lactose free.

What is the process of making the cheese?

Made from a blend of soaked and rinsed raw nuts. We carefully wash soak rinse and wash the nuts to be ready for blending. We make the cheese from the raw nut mixed with acidophilus and little royal pink himalayan salt (one of the best salts available in the market). To make the curd we apply the same procedure for making cheese.

Do you have any exciting plans for Dr. Cow in the pipeline, to reach more consumers?
We are planning to open a dedicated retail shop in mid-September 2013 [woo hoo!]
Meantime, click here for Where To Buy

Can we get Dr.Cow outside of the US?

We do not ship internationally at the moment. [European readers..though not ‘raw’ have you tried Vegusto they produce a range of plant-based cheeses]

Dr Cow - Our Food Philosophy: Simple products, easy to incorporate to every day lifestyle.

So, what do they taste like?

I assembled a small panel of tasters. Me (vegan and one time dairy addict), and two friends - one mostly vegan male (for 1 year), and one female carnivore and cheese lover.

The verdict from the taste kitchen….

Texture & taste.

The little parcels were torn open to reveal the array of cheeses. Crackers, heating implements and voracious appetites at the ready. We tried them under a grill/broiler. They soften and turn molten and bubbly but do not melt in the ‘stringy’ way some dairy cheeses may. We thought would be great for a mac or broc and cheese.
The Aged Macadamia has a slightly granular consistency, but the others are smooth and silky. The others grate well in their chilled state. They also stood firm when ‘cut’ with a knife and satisfying and the same as any hard cheddar
All had a nicely balanced saltiness and tang.
The Cashew Cream Cheese was delightfully thick and whipped. It was so creamy with a gentle acidity. Just like ‘dairy made’ Philadelphia cheese.
The Aged Cashew & Dulse was tinged green, which upon opening was rather a surprise. The flavour was mature, with the hint of ‘ocean’.

I thought most were very ‘cheese’ like. I hate to use that term as though it is judged against dairy cheese. Cheese is a flavour term much as ‘peppery’ ‘spicy’ or ‘sweet’. The fact that it first came about from cows milk shouldn’t limit the creation of this flavour form by other means of what is bascially the fermenting of a milky protein substance. Time for some paradigm shifts?!
My carnivorous friend said it wasn’t a dead ringer but she loved it for what it is, a variation on ingredients to make cheese [and she kept the leftovers!] ‘Newbie Vegan’ friend loved the Aged Cashew & Kale on his quesadillas.
All of the cheeses would find harmony atop a doorstep of fresh (gluten free for me) bread with generous dollops of glistening, chunky chutney.

I consider these cheeses to be worthy contenders to the animal produced cheeses. I meet many people who say they want to eat a more healthy, plant-based diet but just don’t believe they can live without cheese. Now, I don’t think they have to.

p.s…. I heard it through the grapevine, people… Soon, all cows will be set free, and cheese will be considered ‘normal’ when made from tree nuts!

HOT TOPIC Vegan Dog Food - Can your dog THRIVE on a vegan diet? [+ GIVEAWAY COMPETITION]

May 1, 2013 by India Leigh

I’ve often wondered the ethics and viability of a vegan diet for dogs. I thought it was high time I looked into it for you. Is a vegan diet is not only viable but perhaps superior to a meat based, conventional pet food based diet? What is in ‘conventional’ pet food and can we trust it? Could I find enough evidence to say it is not only ok but better for Fido?

We are also giving away a 5 lb bag of dog food to one lucky reader!

Recent research papers from the University of Upsalla in Sweden and from UCD, both of them have demonstrated that modern dog has the enzyme composition that allows them to digest starch, but wolves do not! In other words modern dogs are the product of 10 to 14,000 years of evolution, living in human communities. The first one is published in Nature, and costs $32.00 to order online. Both of these papers put to bed the notion that dogs are wolves and, therefore carnivores. According to a report by PETA, companion dogs can do well on a vegetarian/vegan diets. Cats however need a vital component that is present in meat and a vegan diet is strongly advised against. I found an article online, written by Dr. Armaiti May (D.V. M., C.V.A). It claims VEGETARIAN DIETS CAN BE HEALTHY FOR DOGS. Dr May says that most pet foods contain slaughter house wastes and diseased and dying animals. Marked unfit for human consumption. Would you really want your precious pup to eat it? Some pet foods are even said to contain the remnants of un-housed dogs and cats that have been put to sleep from ‘rescue’ centres. If we are what we eat then surely, dogs are no exception? click here for full article.

According to Ibis World in the USA alone, the pet industry is worth over $30bn a year. I wonder at the downright dodgy practices that are being reported almost daily in our food products, can it be that the pet food industry has better morals and practices? I think probably not.

Also, it may be surprising to you that the Guinness Book of World Records say that a 37 year old dog called Bramble was a vegetarian.

I contacted David Middlesworth the founder of V-Dog, a US based vegan pet food whose product contains a list of super food ingredients company and asked him a few questions.

Can you recommend any home-made meals for dogs?
Basically our formula, which is a complete diet for dogs.  Or a favourite meal of one of your own dogs.  We do add things to the kibble such as nutritional yeast, table veggies, oatmeal in the AM, extra brown rice and quinoa in the PM. However,V-dog contains all of the essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and 24% protein a dog needs to thrive.

It is important that humans have a high ratio of raw/uncooked foods to benefit from the nutrients and enzymes that are lost during cooking, is this the same for dogs?
No, dogs are not in the same category.

Are their any plant foods, which we find in our stores, a dog shouldn’t eat? Yes, onions, garlic, chocolate, peppers,grapes & raisins, macadamia nuts, hops, yeast and xylitol to name a few.

Why and how did you launch a vegan dog food - V-Dog?
We were attending an International Vegetarian Conference in Edinburg, Scotland in 2003, and Happy Dog was tabling there. I contacted them, and over the course of 18 months started selling their brand in the USA. We were never completely satisfied with it, and developed our own formula with our Ph.D professional pet nutritionist. We took out the allergens like wheat, corn, soy, and we have no GMO or gluten in our formula, but it is 24% protein.

taste tester Lefty sniffing out a V-Dog kibble

eager dog! the bowl travelled around the room in her efforts to lap up all the V-Dog.

I’d say her verdict was a big paws-up!

Now we want to hear from you!
What is your experience? Do you have a vegetarian dog? Do you think imposing your diet on your dog is best for them? Leave your thoughts/experiences in the comments box below and lets see what you have to say.

V-dog have kindly donated a 5 lb bag of kibble for 1 lucky reader. All you have to do is submit an entry in the box below and promise to come back and tell us how your dog liked it.

USA entrants only for this Giveaway. Sign up to my newsletter in the box on the right of this post to ensure you never miss out on great reviews, recipes and giveaways!

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Sophie’s Kitchen - Healthy & Convenient Plant-Based Seafood - Reivew & Your Chance To Win!

April 25, 2013 by India Leigh

I’ve never tasted scallops. I’ve tasted prawns. I wasn’t that into them. But when I saw this new ‘seafood’ product being demonstrated in my local organic store, in San Francisco, in my efforts to review foods for your transition or already plant based diet, I wandered over to where all these delicious smells were emanating and grabbed some samples to taste. Calamari. Scallops. Crab Cakes and Fish Cakes. Frying on a griddle and partnered with Vegenaise Tartar Sauce. I tried. I tasted. I was hooked. I had to tell you about them and not just because of their flavour. Here’s why…

According to a shocking study by the American Academy of Paediatrics 1 in 12 children have a food allergy. It was a severe allergy to seafood sparked one young girl’s father, Eugene Wang to create an alternative. Wang had a 20 year history in the food industry. He also had an increasing awareness to the reported dwindling numbers of sea creatures from over dredging of our oceans, not to mention increasing levels of pollutants. At the same time, he also was noticing the trend towards the vegan lifestyle. So he took his Taiwanese knowledge of ingredients and concocted an alternative using Konjac (pronounced ‘kon-jack’) , a mineral rich seaweed, widely used in Asia. His company, based in Sebastopol and founded in 2011 and Sophie’s Kitchen (named after his daughter), now produces 7 faux seafood products.

100% vegan & plant based
Gluten free
Kosher
Non-gmo
Soy free
No cholesterol, trans fat or preservatives
High fiber

Located the frozen section. Sophie’s Kitchen products include - Prawn, fish fillet, calamari, shrimp, fish sticks, coconut shrimp, smoked salmon. All vegan & gluten free! It is hard to see a processed product as a health food, we have been so used to the stuff in packets being high in salt, fat and cholesterol, but if you need food in a hurry then you just may love these. Eating them feels/tastes like a decadent treat.

The secret to the texture of the ‘seafood’ is Konjac.

Konjac root is used as vegan substitute for gelatine and is the main ingredient in Sophie’s Kitchen’s range. The starchy corms of the plant are made into a flour and jelly. In its basic form konjac is a tasteless food which easily absorbs accompanying flavours. It has zero calories. Yep, calorie free. It is used in every dieters dream food - shirataki noodles . It is also zero carbs! Packed with soluble fibre, clinically proven to actually lower cholesterol. It has a really high fiber (fibre) content that slows digestion, therefore controlling blood sugar and increasing the feeling of fullness or satiety. I know, I know, I am excited about this too! But that is in it’s pure state. Sophie’s Kitchen add breading to some products (gluten free, made with potato starch and brown rice powder) and so this adds to the calorie value, but their values are still really low. I sampled the scallops and found them to have the slightly rubbery texture akin to seafood and a subtle, savoury, but not really ‘fishy’ flavour. I loved them. And the bonus is, if you grill/broil them or dry fry in a little stock they are only 50 calories, 1g fat and 11g carbs per 100g serving. Awesome!! The crab cakes (120 kcal, 13g carb, 3g protein) had an interesting texture. They are a patty of shredded konjac gel which has a flaking consistency. The flavours are all of their own, hard for me to describe, but really good. Delicately seasoned with white pepper. As a long term vegan I appreciated the new flavours and textures. My housemate, presently a carnivore, is always honest about the little ‘trials’ I put before her as she sits at her desk working. She enthusiastically pronounced that they were both ‘really delicious’.

The products have an ingredient, beta glucan, I’d not come across before so I researched it to make sure it was not a ‘nasty’ and was ok for you. According to the information I found online, beta glucan is a soluble fibre that may lower blood sugar. It has also been proven to be an immune stimulator. I’ve since seen it sold in veggie caps online at a health food store.

There are recipes on the website but really I think they are meant as a quick and easy convenience food. I spoke with a member of the Sophie’s Kitchen team and she said their customers regularly use them in Asian style soups and lettuce wraps. Veg TV has a couple of recipes if you need some inspiration.

I asked the people at Sophie’s Kitchen they’d let me offer one person a chance to try them for free. They happily agreed. Simply just use the Rafflecopter below and like my Facebook page. Good luck. Oh..sorry, entrants only in the USA please. T&C’s in the Rafflecopter widget below.

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Kind Caviar?! - Product Review. Recipe.

April 22, 2013 by India Leigh

Today I bring you plant-based Caviar! Read on. You are going to be amazed. Truth.

I am beginning to realise that there isn’t any animal/fish food product a vegan can’t recreate. The very nature of the belief system and a solution focussed attitude is making it easy for people with a meat diet to embrace plant-based food. I find it endlessly fascinating. A product not just for vegans/pescatarians but for anyone who cares about their health, the planet and anyone who loves food.

This insanely creative vegan faux caviar. Texture and decadence of caviar but it is made from seaweed.

Jens Moller, a Danish … was working on a science project to demonstrate to his children how seaweed can capture enzymes. To his dismay, his experiment failed but small beads formed and the water turned red. It wasn’t until weeks later that a lightbulb moment made him realise the beads looked and behaved like caviar. It took him several years of tinkering before Jens had a product he could finally patent and sell. Sold widely in Europe and now in the US by Plant Based Foods

Cavi-Art is a plant based product that looks like traditional caviar. The company offer 5 vegan flavours. Black (made to emulate Beluga), Orange Red, Yellow, Wasabi, Salmon It has a multitude of benefits. Here is a list;

It’s a fraction of the price of traditional caviar.
It is cholesterol-free. Packed with health enhancing micro-nutrients. Seaweed has been used for centuries by the Japanese to increase health and longevity.
It has a very low fat and salt content.
It has a LONG shelf-life. Keeps in the fridge after opening for 3 months. But you’ll eat it all up before then anyhow.
Environmentally friendly. Sustainable.
Fish kind. The extraction of caviar (eggs taken from the body of a fish) is a horrible and cruel process. Google it!
It looks beautiful, and effortlessly adds a touch of theatre and glamour to your plate. The texture adds a new dimension to ordinary meals so easily. Fabulous as a garnish. Just open the pot and spoon it over your dish, or mix with vegan sauces. Great for dinner parties. Impressive AND a conversation starter.
Perfect for chefs AND home cooks.
Nutritional info per 100g: 13 kcal, 1-2g protein, 1-2g carbs, 0-1g fat.

Take a look at the website. They have a plentiful supply of recipes.

Ranging from simple to gourmet. I’m trying these soon!

Artichoke leaf with crispy oyster mushroom topped with shallot puree, bernaise sauce and black Cavi-art.
Simple Cavi-Art stuffed nori rolls and avocado cups.
Blinis.
Cavi-art cream.
Steamed asparagus with vegan wasabi creme fraiche.

Recipes devised by a result of collaboration with Suzanne Ericsson & Nina Andersson and some devised by Vegan Chef Tal Ronnen. Author of The Conscious Cook

I whipped up a quick entree using Salmon Cavi-Art. A seaweed party! The pasta (noodles) are made from kelp. They are a wonderful low carb and low fat substitute for flour pasta. One serving: 6 calories. 1g carbs. 0g fat! Wow! I made a plant-based Alfredo Sauce. Click for recipe. Used scissors to snip over some fresh dill and fennel. Then spooned over the salmony pink beads. It was delicious, and so fun. We eat with our eyes too, right?!

It passed the ‘carnivore’ test. I actually witnessed my friend eating it out of jar with a spoon!

Suzanne is the woman behind Plant Based Foods, who brings you Cavi-art in the USA. I asked Suzanne what currently is her favourite way to eat Cavi-Art. She excitedly posted me a picture of her evening meal - Roasted Potatoes & with Melting Mayo and Vegan Salmon Cavi-Art.

“My favorite ways and also easy to make are, mixed with a little Veganaise and either fresh dill, finely chopped onion or chives with avocado or on roasted potatoes. I have attached a picture of what I had for dinner yesterday, I used Vegan Salmon and Yellow Cavi-art, vegan sour cream and chives with the potatoes.”

Have you tried Cavi-art? How do you eat yours? Create community and leave a comment in the box below.

Super Snacks - Are These The Best Raw Vegetable Chips Ever? [+ Special Offer!]

April 19, 2013 by India Leigh

My latest obsession (not the kale contingent. That’s a given), are Just Pure Foods vegetable chips, they’re my obsession.

When I decided to give these fellas a try I thought I’d just stumble over ANOTHER delicious but pretty standard kale chip. Let me tell you, these guys are taking the kale way beyond, with their own mix of ingredients and flavours. Not just kale either. Oh no. They’ve dehydrated your humble baton of green, the zucchini, and made it rich, salty, chunky strips of unbelievable crunchiness. What they’ve done to the tomato is nothing short of a triumph too. This is snacking like ROYALTY!

They are different from all the other dehydrated kale/veggie chips on the market. They use healthful sprouted buckwheat, some have chickpea miso (soy free), and not the conventional nutritional yeast, to impart a cheesy flavour, and it adds such a depth of flavour. Their chips are generously covered, and it makes them superior and satiating. A guilt-free, gluten free snack. They use natural coconut sugar (doesn’t put stress on your blood sugar levels the same way that white sugar does) for the Kale Apple Maple and the Chocolate Kalenola (they taunt you with their greatness!). All of their ingredients ensure the best product and taste. I think their packaging may be more eco-friendly even. Using paper and foil for their resealable pouches.

As you know, I also get a kick out of it if the company founders are good guys. So to like the company, not just their food. I like to see them walking their talk or just know they are wanting to make social change.

I contacted Justin, the founder of Just Pure Foods. He said he’d be happy to answer a few questions.

Which flavours did you launch first?

I first started with making Cheesy Kale out of my house 3 years ago. I was creating raw meals and snacks for Janet Jackson via her nutritionist and testing out a bunch of dehydrated snack mixes.

How long did it take you to create your extensive range?

It took about 8 months from formally establishing the business to going to the market to develop our first 5 products (Cheesy Kale (free of nuts and yeast), Cocoa Kale, Zucchini Strips, Onion Rings, and Jalapeno Tomato Chips). The Tomato Chips were inspired from crop surpluses of local Heirloom tomatoes we were getting from Tutti Frutti Farms. They happened to have a ton of jalapenos too the couple weeks I started developing the flavor, so that became the first flavor! We ended up switching to Roma Tomatoes because of availability, which was sad for me as a chef, but allowed us to increase our production outside of the summer tomato season. The creative process is a constant battle for perfection.

What is your favourite flavour?

My current favorite flavor has to be the Maple Cranberry KaleNola. It’s the newest of all the products, and I just have such a sweet tooth and love having it in a bowl of almond milk and fresh fruit.

What stores stock them? Can you ship internationally?

We are currently scattered about Canada, and will have a full Canadian roll-out. Same goes for Austrailia, we already have distribution lined up. Beyond that, we get inquiries everyday from abroad, but we gotta be able to share it locally first! We’re sold in Whole Foods throughout Southern California, and then scattered about the country in independent health food stores. Soon our product will be available throughout Oregon, Washington, and the Rocky Mountain Region.

Check out the website as they are introducing their products in new stores all the time and their international shippers.

I twisted Justin’s arm for you and he wants you to try them too. He is offering 20% off. Use the coupon code JPF20PERCENT on the website, justpurefoods.com.

I cannot recommend these snacks enough. They are great to take hiking, put in your lunch box or have as an ‘on the go’ breakfast. I am gathering a bunch of flavours for my next flight. Tomato Pesto for starters, Sesame Dijon Zucchini for entree, and the Kalenola to finish. Imagine one day if airline companies supplied kefir and kombucha on board to round off my raw chip fest. Now that would be something!

Jerky! A Tasty Low Fat Snack. VEGAN! Review AND GIVEAWAY

April 18, 2013 by India Leigh

I’ve been sampling some soy jerky for you, from Morels The Vegan Butcher. They were a great jaw work-out. I think you’ll love them!

Read on and find out how you can get some in your hot little hands for FREE!

Made with non-GMO soy beans. Vegan. Gluten Free.
They are great for a virtually guilt-free snack. They are low fat, low calorie, low carb and high protein.
Serving size: 28g Servings 2.5
Amount per serving: Calories 50. Fat 2g. Sat Fat. 0g. Total Carb. 4g. Fiber 2g. Protein 5g.

Currently, they have two flavours: Ned’s Spicy Chipotle & Judas’ Original. The zip up bag, encourages you to have several little snackette and reseal. Tremendously chewy and flavour rammed. Judas’ has a BBQ-black pepper flavouring and Ned’s strips taste smokey and have a nice kick from chipotle and ancho chillies.
They would be a great snack for people transitioning to a plant-based diet, or those supporting Meatless Monday If your doctor is telling you to cut or quit the meat, it can be a little scary. These would be great for you!

The other night I made a black bean chill and cut up the strips into smaller pieces and threw them on top, adding a great texture and heat to my chili feast. I have also popped them into a taco, along with some juicy toms and cashew cream, and poured over lashings of my thick mole sauce. Next up, I am going to try Judas’ Jerky strips in a brown rice wrap with stir-fried greens in garlic, several large dollops of vegan horseradish or wasabi mayo.

I wanted to know more about Stanley, the founder and genius behind Morels The Vegan Butcher. I contacted him and asked a few questions to placate my curiosity. He was happy to oblige.

Morels the Vegan Butcher is quite the newbie to the food game. They launched in 2011, funding by the aid of pledgers on Kickstarter.com. They hit the streets of Louisville Kentucky with a big shiny food truck. At the same time they began to sell retail sandwiches in local grocery stores and coffee shops. The demand grew really quickly in the stores and eventually they were forced to give up the food truck to keep up with demand from their retail customers. It seems vegan food was what the people (vegans, non-vegans and veg-curious alike) of Louisville wanted in their stores. If you live in Louisville, you are lucky and get to buy their in Rainbow Blossoms & Heine Brothers Coffee shops all over Louisville!. For those of use who don’t. You can get the flavour of Morels The Vegan Butcher in a foil zip-lock bag, online and at these locations. They ship internationally.

Meet Stanley…..

Morel TVB: quote “Ever since meat was taken out of my diet, I’ve thought often about jerky. Texture, taste and a sore jaw have been a dream of mine for years. Finally, here we are. A real jerky that you can pull out at a party and make real, lasting friends. So pop open a bag. Tap a stranger on the shoulder and say, “jerky?’. No one will ask any questions”.

So Stanley, what came first? The Jerky or your wraps? (the wraps so amazing! Wish I could try them!)

We started the wraps about 2 years ago. The jerky came out almost exactly a year ago. After only 6 months Jerky was flying off the ‘shelves’.

How long did it take you to perfect the Jerky recipes?

Couple of months to get to the flavors and texture we wanted, but once we hit these flavors, we just ran with it. The thing that took the longest was getting packaging, package design, nutritional info, and getting into a cycle of making as much as we can a week. Some of the flavors and seasoning are getting an upgrade this summer.

I’ve recently Jerky chopped into a black bean chili (wow!). Do you have any creative ways of eating it?

I just recently had some people telling me they’re using the jerky in dishes they’re making. I honestly never thought of doing that, but it totally makes sense. May have to try it in like a beef and broccoli dish or on a pizza.

Do you have any new products/flavours in the pipeline?

Sriracha Maple this July

Is Louisville a vegan-friendly town?

Yeah it is. There’s a lot of restaurants that will accommodate vegans, and they’re are a lot that already have plenty of options on their menus. Several places even sell stuff like seitan wings. Food in Louisville is pretty intense, there’s a lot of neat places to eat.

You had a campaign to get Jerky in all the US States by April 8th with Adoptaturkey.com, was your target reached?

But we’re still going and still sending money to save our turkey friends for each new state we get in. There are some big changes coming up this summer that will hopefully get us in a bunch of new places, as well as some new flavours.

Do you follow a vegan diet?

I’ve been vegan off and on over the last 7 years or so, but vegetarian for the whole time. There’s not really any thing that I can’t live without, I just haven’t drawn the line that I’m vegan. I don’t really talk much about it with anyone though as I think people are all at their own spots in life. Be it food, spirituality or whatever, even if you feel you’ve connected all the dots, we all see the world in our own special ways. That being said, I really like vegan cheeses and products like vegenaise and earth balance are always in my fridge. I really love dr. Cows cashew cheese [AVO: ‘ooh, want to try that now’!]

Thanks Stanley!

I am loving the fact the old concept of ‘business’ is turning, and more and more AWESOME people like our friend Stanley are changing the face of entrepreneurism. Ethical businesses rock!

Here is your chance to win 2 packs of Jerky for FREE!

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